The Lagos State Government says it is set to stop the incessant truck accidents that have taken many lives of innocent citizens in the state.
The state government on Thursday convened a stakeholders meeting with the key representatives of the Downstream Energy Sector to discuss the issue.
Speaking at a virtual meeting, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Olalere Odusote, said that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was determined to end incessant tanker accidents in the state.
Odusote said in a statement that the meeting was to deepen safety awareness of operators, given the spate of fire incidents involving petroleum tankers in recent times.
“Mr Governor is keen to see the downstream sector continues to flourish, but operators must stay within the framework of safety provided by the regulators and the laws of the state,” he said.
Odusote said that the meeting was to address the recurrence of such hazardous incidents, and to seek effective and lasting solutions that align the interests of all stakeholders.
The forum deliberated on the hazardous incidents involving petroleum tankers in the state and explored solutions to the overloading of petroleum tankers.
It also discussed the enforcement of the roadworthiness of trucks conveying petroleum products and ways to halt the indiscriminate parking of petroleum tankers along roads in the state.
The commissioner said that Lagos State had commenced the process of creating fully equipped truck transit parks and terminals to eliminate the indiscriminate parking of trucks in the state.
He said that a technology-based Integrated Terminal Management System, where tickets were issued prior to proceeding to the loading bays would be introduced, in addition to the enforcement of the annual certification for tanker drivers and trucks that ply Lagos roads.
Odusote said that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources would work closely with all stakeholders to implement an optimal framework to curb the menace of tankers.
He said that it would also partner with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to monitor the loading of petroleum products at the various loading bays in the state.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, said that relevant infrastructure to facilitate vehicle testing would be made available at mutually agreed designated points to support the downstream sector.
Oladeinde said that the transportation ministry had scheduled visits of all stakeholders to relevant facilities in the coming weeks to ensure an alignment of requirements that would guarantee prevention of accidents and safety of tankers across all facilities and roads within Lagos.
Also speaking at the meeting, National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Association, Salimon Oladiti, said that Lagos State Government was always leading positive change, but to ensure the solutions were sustainable, similar actions must also be taken nationwide.
Officials of the Lagos State Government who also attended the event were Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins and Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, among others.
All participants, including representatives of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG); Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN); Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA); National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Federal Road Safety Corps, promised to abide by the regulations set by Lagos State. (NAN)
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